The Chao Garden
by Dusk Fox Altars
Summary: [Oneshot] A quick Shadamy story. What happens in the Chao Garden, doesn't always stay there...


**A/N:** Oh dear, another Shadamy oneshot! I will make a proper story soon, honest! Anyway, this little story was inspired by a sweet picture I saw ages ago but haven't found since. I still own nothing - Mr. SEGA and Mr. SonicTeam keep their characters for another day!

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**In the Chao Garden**

Amy Rose was relaxing in the Chao Garden, her eyes slightly drooped. She often came here with Cream to look after the Chao but today she was by herself. It was kinda peaceful to just sit and watch the Chao enjoy themselves by listening to the radio or play with a ball. Amy gave a slight yawn, looking around all the Chao. She didn't know to whom some of the Chao belonged – there was a young neutral running Chao over by the water; very well-developed dark running Chao near some flowers; and a flying hero Chao fiddling with the radio. Her own Chao was wondering around aimlessly, before deciding to sing to itself. Amy smiled over it. Her Chao actually looked identical to her. Having gone into the Black Market with a large collection of rings from her past adventures the clerk was surprised by her appearance and offered her a mysterious Chao egg, promising that she'd be "surprised, but pleased with the hatchling". Needless to say, she was! The Chao had her bouncy pink hair, triangular ears and a red dress too. She had taken her to the fortune teller to give her a name, which turned out to be Melody.

Another figure came into the garden, causing Amy to turn to the entrance. A black hedgehog stood there, red stripes on his arms and quills and fiery eyes, glancing around the garden. He saw Amy and stared at her for a moment. Amy snapped out of her daze and sat up slightly straighter.  
"Hi Shadow!" she greeted cheerfully, giving him a sweet smile. Shadow gave her a slight smirk in reply and walked casually to her.  
"Rose." He nodded to acknowledge her and scanned her frame. It was beginning to get colder now but she still wore her ever-present red dress and white striped boots, with only a black sleeveless jacket, styled with three red rings around the hem, to warm her. She looked up at him, her emerald eyes gleaming with simple joy. He held back a smirk, as she nearly always had that shine in her eyes. He directed his attention away from her sharply, in case certain thoughts began running though his mind again. Amy didn't really notice this and also redirected her attention to the Chao.

"Do you have any Chao?" she asked him, keeping an eye on Melody as the Chao began to pick some of the flowers that grew in the garden. Shadow shook his head, not looking down at the girl sitting by his feet. He didn't own any Chao; he simply found the garden to be a peaceful, rather isolated place that rarely saw more then one or two people at a time.  
"I take it you do?" he said in his low tone. Amy's smile changed to one of secretive glee. Furtively, she couldn't help but appreciate the low, soothing quality of Shadow's voice. It was like a dark, rich honey on one's ears. She nodded, pointing over to Melody.  
"That ones mine. I called her Melody." She said brightly.  
Shadow followed her finger and was slightly surprised by the Chao's copycat appearance. But then again, he looked over to the dark running Chao. It's '"quills" mimicked his, in both colour and shape. Its eyes had the trademark "evil Chao glare" and no visible mouth except when it was displaying specific emotions. Shadow continued to observe the Chao as it wondered along the water's edge.

"Whose Chao is that?" he asked, keeping his attention on the little "Shadow" Chao. Amy turned her head away from Melody, who was also walking around, to the Chao of Shadow's interest.  
"I don't know." She replied honestly, turning back to Melody. She gasped a little and gave Shadow's wrist a tug. "Look!" she cheered. Shadow turned away from the Chao copy of himself and saw flowers suddenly bloom all around Amy's Chao, as she sat down with a heart over her head. The other Chao all looked over at Melody. The flying hero was quick to return to the radio, not too interested by Melody's display. The running neutral Chao actually seemed to approach her, before joining the hero Chao in inspecting how the radio worked. Amy gave a little sigh as her Chao was largely ignored. It was like watching herself attempt to find love. Shadow turned and looked down at her, hearing her sigh. He put a supportive hand on her shoulder. Amy looked up and gave him a sweet smile at the gesture, to which she received one of his rare, sexy smirks. Amy looked back over to Melody and froze, a surprised look on her face as a blush crept over her cheeks. Shadow blinked at her and then looked back at the Chao, also stunned by the sight.

The Shadow Chao had walked over to Melody and was standing outside the ring of flowers, as if considering her. Then he walked in, heart over his head and gave her a Chao kiss! The two hedgehogs couldn't do much except stare at the sight of their Chao-selves mating. The two Chao jumped back after their kiss, an egg popping out of the ground between them. They both jumped up and down happily, before Melody walked past the egg and past the Shadow Chao, who was quick to join her in her stroll. Amy got up slowly and approached the egg, picking it up and turning to Shadow. She was still blushing. Shadow also couldn't look her in the eye, the faintest of pink on his own cheeks. He gave the Shadow Chao a slight glare but it only gave him an evil but cute smirk in reply, but returning to play with Melody. Shadow turned back to his own Amy, still awkward. She walked up to him and offered the egg. "Do you want it?" she asked shyly, her blush still visible. Shadow shook his head and walked out of the garden to escape the embarrassment of seeing him and Amy kiss in Chao form. Amy smiled to herself and rocked the egg a little, to coax the baby inside out of its shell. After a few minutes, she set it down and watched as the shell rocked. Out came a baby Chao, wearing Melody's sweet smile but bearing the Shadow Chao's evil eyes. Amy picked the Chao up and headed out to the Kindergarden, smiling at the prospect of seeing the fortune teller to get a name for it.

Behind her, the Shadow Chao and Melody watched the hedgehogs go. The red striped Chao found a flower blooming nearby and picked it, blushing a little as he handed it to Melody, who gave a cheerful cry and jumped on him, giving him a tight hug.


End file.
